The information below was
written and submitted by Susan Smith. It is based on 20 plus
years of research on the Thomas Smith family who settled in
Venango Township in 1802. Thomas and his wife, Sarah, had 12
children with 9 of them remaining in the Erie area. Susan hopes
that her contribution of detailed information about one of the
SMITH families will help other SMITH researchers. Below is the
'story' of one of the children. Any comments or questions about
the article or this family should be sent
directly to Susan.

SECOND
GENERATION

#4. Nancy SMITH
was born on 29 Sep 1788 in Westmoreland Co., PA; the 3rd
child and the oldest daughter of Thomas and
Sarah Smith. Nancy died
on 18 Aug 1858 in Venango, Erie Co., PA; and is buried in
Lowville Cem, Erie Co., PA. By October of 1808, she had
married David MCNAIR. When her father, Thomas
wrote his will, 16 Oct 1808, he named her as Nancy
McNair. David McNair was born
in 1774 in Lough-a-Brin, near Castle Bann, Ulster Co.
Ireland; died on 14 Apr 1851 in Venango Erie Co. PA;
buried in Lowville Cemetery Erie Co. PA.

The family story handed down from his
children says his father was Robert McNair,
born in Scotland and, skilled in the art of fencing. He
drilled cavalrymen in swordmanship in the service of the
Crown. Later he was a weaver and woolen manufacturer. David
McNair's grandfather, William McNair
was a surgeon who practiced in Edinburgh, Scotland, and
Ulster. When David was nine years old he
ran away from home, and with the aid of friends took a
ship at the port of Londonderry-Moville. He landed in
Philadelphia and then went to a little settlement of
Ulster Presbyterian families.

According to the 1896 History of Erie
County, in 1795 Thomas Rees, surveyor
for the state and an agent for the Pennsylvania
Population Co, employed as assistant surveyors George
Moore and David McNair. Also
"David McNair chose 800 acres of
the Walnut creek flats, at Kearsarge, besides other
extensive tracts. He at one time owned some of the most
valuable property in the county, including half of what
is now South Erie" " The first beer brewery in
the city was built in 1815, by Maj. David McNair,
on Turnpike street, near where the Erie City mill was
afterward erected. He added a distillery in 1823, and in
1827 built a grist mill on State street, south of the
Lake Shore R.R., the motive power for all being furnished
by the water of Ichabod run." In 1797 the
Pennsylvania Population Co. sent Dunning McNair
as an agent to Conneaut township. There are no records to
substantiate whether these two McNairs
were related and whether this is the same David
McNair who married Nancy Smith.

During the War of 1812, David
McNair, husband of Nancy Smith,
helped build Perry's ships and was a
volunteer in the army of General William Henry
Harrison at Detroit in the winter of 1812-13.
The Pennsylvania Archives war record list his pay $20
from the state and bounty for volunteering and serving an
additional 15 days after the expiration of a 6 month tour.
He also received payments of $60.50 for hauling and $11
for hospital.

Another family story says, "In his
last visit to the United States in 1823, General
LaFayette came to Erie, Pennsylvania. There was
a great outpouring of citizens from northwest
Pennsylvania and adjoining New York and Ohio. On the
grand stand in places of honor were seated the soldiers
of the Republic: the soldiers of the Revolution and of
the War of 1812. The time came when the soldiers filed by
LaFayette. He grasped the hand of each,
having in mind to give a special greeting to the
Revolutionary soldiers, who had served under him. When David
McNair clasped the hand of LaFayette,
LaFayette asked him in what command he
served. David McNair desiring that LaFayette
understand that he had not served in the Revolutionary
Army, and being embarrassed, said, "I was on the
other side then," meaning the other side of the
Atlantic. LaFayette, not catching his
meaning, threw McNair's hand down with a
curse. McNair's face blanched to a
pallor; he straightened to his full height and with eyes
to the front in silence marched ahead. He had helped to
build Perry's fleet in Erie harbor and
had left his wife and three little ones in his log cabin
in the woods of the Pennsylvania frontier to enlist in
the war to wrest back the Northwest Territory lost by the
surrender to the British at Detroit. David McNair
chose to accept a great insult rather than plead for
favor."

Nancy McNair was on
the membership list of the Middlebrook Church. David
contributed "one day of cattle and 2 horses"
and cash to the ministers support. Their home in Venango
township, on one of the highest spots in the county was
called McNair Hill. The property was on
the east side of State 89 on Page Road. Their sons were
said to be large, broad shouldered, powerful men with
black hair and blue eyes and the daughters all very
comely, especially Mary Jane who was
considered a beauty. Of twelve children, only three
remained in Erie county. The rest settled in Kane county
Illinois and one went from there to California during the
gold rush of 1849-50 and stayed there.

Children of Nancy Smith
and David McNair:

1) Sally H MCNAIR born
7 Jul. 1809 in Venango, Erie Co. PA, died 3 Nov. 1878 in
Lindina Juneau Co. WI (Lindina is now Mauston). She
married William Reuben ROGERS abt 1836
in Erie county PA. William was born 27
May 1811 in Scotland, died 9 May 1886 in Mauston Juneau
Co. WI. They are buried in Mauston Cemetery. Sally
and William Rogers were in Racine Co.,
Wis., by the spring of 1837, Walworth Co., WI by 1843 and
in Kane Co. IL by 1848. They moved to a farm in Mauston,
Wisconsin by 1859. Children of Sally H MCNAIR
and William Reuben ROGERS:

1) Harvey Nehemiah ROGERS
born 1 Jun 1837 in Racine Co WI. He joined the
177th Reg Ohio VI in the Civil War as a physician
& surgeon. Harvey married 1)
Lucy WRIGHT, 2) Mary
Etta CONWAY, 3) Lydia BERR.
In later years Harvey moved to
Farmington Minn.

3) David McNair ROGERS
born 20 Dec. 1839, died 5 Aug. 1862 at Harrison's
Landing VA in the Civil War.

4) Mary Elizabeth ROGERS
born 27 Jun 1841, died 14 May 1914 WI. She
married George Pickering DISSMORE
12 Sep 1859 Lindena Juneau Co WI. George
was born in MA.

5) James Harkness ROGERS
born 2 Jun 1843. He married Lucy WOOD
30 Oct 1875. In April 1861, at seventeen years of
age, James enlisted in Company
K, 6th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry. He served
throughout the war in fifty-two battles and
skirmishes. He never was wounded and was in the
hospital only three days

6) Almira Aurilla ROGERS
born 2 Mar 1845 IL; died 22 Feb. 1864 WI.

7) John Reuben ROGERS
born 6 Mar 1848 IL. He married Jane WOOD.

8) Sarah Ann Judson ROGERS
born 6 Sep 1850 IL. She married Edwin
Stapleton CONWAY. She was in Boston in
1878 with her sons and daughter. They were
proprietors of Mason-Hamlin Piano Co.

2) Eleanor MCNAIR was
born 1811 Venango, Erie Co., died 22 Feb. 1846 Greenfield
Erie Co. PA. She married James WILSON about
1835-38. James born 14 Mar 1800, died 24
Sept. 1865 Erie PA. Both are buried in Lowville Cemetery
Erie PA. James was the brother-in-law of
Eleanors aunt Hannah Smith
Wilson. They lived on a farm in Greenfield Erie
Co PA. The 1850 census shows James, his
mother and all the children but John who
is listed with Nancy and David McNair, Eleanors
parents. Children of Eleanor MCNAIR and James
WILSON:

1) William WILSON
born in 1837 in PA

2) Nancy WILSON
born in Erie Co. PA. She married Mr.
BROWN and in later years lived in Elgin,
Illinois.

3) James/Jackson WILSON
born in Erie Co. PA. He was called Jack.
In the Civil War he served in the 8th IL Cavalry.
He was a farmer and banker and died in Kansas.

4) David WILSON
served in a PA Regt. in the Civil War. He was a
farmer.

5) John WILSON
born abt 1844 in Erie Co. PA. John
was a banker and a farmer in Kansas. He served in
a Pennsylvania Regt. in the Civil War. During the
war, the 8th Illinois Cavalry and John's
regiment were quartered side by side. John
got a pass and went over to see his Uncle William
Mcnair. He asked for him and was told he
was down there. He arrived, and found Uncle
William sitting on a log in his
underwear, mending his trousers. He introduced
himself, and Uncle William
nearly broke down in his delight in seeing "Eleanor's
boy". They slept under the same blanket that
night, and in the morning John
went back to his regiment

3) Nancy MCNAIR born
14 Sept. 1812 in Venango, Erie Co. PA, died 6 Mar 1888 IL.
She married Samuel PLATT 24 Mar 1834
Venango, Erie Co. PA. Samuel was born 28
Aug. 1805 in Chautauqua Co. NY, died 13 Apr. 1850. Both
are buried in Blackberry Cemetery Elburn Kane Co. IL. His
parents were Nehemiah and Anna
Platt. His sister Sophia
married James Whitehill of Greenfield
township. Nancy and Samuel
arrived in Kane Co. IL Sept. 30, 1836 in a party with James
Smith, Nancys uncle, and
family. They homesteaded 324 acres in Blackberry township.
Samuel was a well-educated man. His
brother-in-law, Dr. Samuel McNair,
talked of living in Sams home,
surrounded by books belonging to this man of many
accomplishments. He lived on a farm in New York state
until the age of 20. He was Justice of the Peace, a
school director and trustee. After Samuel
died, Nancy conducted the farm with the
help of Aaron Whitney, son of Aaron
and Electa (Leach) Whitney, of
Mina Township, Chautauqua Co, N.Y Children of Nancy
MCNAIR and Samuel PLATT:

1) daughter born 9 May 1838, died
10 May 1838

2) James Whitehill PLATT
born 13 May 1840, died 20 Jul. 1842

3) Sophia PLATT
born 14 Aug 1841, died 11 Feb. 1908 IL. She
married John W SWAIN, born in
Saratoga Co. NY. John and Sophia
had no children.

4) Nancy Anna PLATT
called Anna was born 23 Nov.
1844, died 28 Dec. 1894 IL. She married Harry
Scott WHITE born in IL He enlisted in
the Civil War as a Lieutenant in the 8th IL Cav. Harry
and Anna farmed in IL until 1875.
About 1877, the Whites moved to
Nebraska where they had a farm of forty-two
hundred acres. When Anna became
ill, she asked to be brought back to IL where she
could receive treatment from her uncle Dr
McNair. She died there at the home of
her sister Mrs John Swain.
Children of Nancy Anna PLATT and
Harry Scott WHITE: Athur
Platt White.

5) Martha PLATT
born 23 Apr. 1849, died 4 Mar 1856

6) Mary PLATT
born 23 Dec. 1850, died 25 Jul. 1921 Kane Co. IL.
She married George N OUTHOUSE.
He was a farmer. Children of Mary PLATT
and George N OUTHOUSE: Samuel
Platt OUTHOUSE, Mary Platt
OUTHOUSE

4) Robert MCNAIR Dr.
born 27 Nov. 1814 in Venango, Erie Co. PA, died 19 Jan
1901 Batavia Kane Co. IL. He married Mary Ann
LAKIN 18 Feb. 1844. Robert went Kane Co. in 1837
on the first line boat run from Buffalo to Chicago. He
took up a government farm claim in Blackberry Township.
After farming for several years, he left because of poor
health and returned home to Erie and began the study of
medicine in Buffalo. He practiced his profession at
Venango, Erie Co. PA for about seven years. In 1860 he
went to Boston, Wisconsin. In 1862 he settled in Kane Co.
practicing medicine in Maple Park. During his last year, Dr.
McNair lived with his son, Dr. O.P.
McNair of Elburn. Robert McNair
was proud of the fact that he was a relative of Capt.
John Paul Jones. He was a personal friend of Horace
Greelys. Children of Robert MCNAIR
Dr. and Mary Ann LAKIN:

5) Thomas MCNAIR born
6 May 1817 in Venango, Erie Co. PA, died 5 May 1891 Kane
Co IL. He married Sarah COCHRAN 8 Mar
1845 in Erie Co. PA. Sarah was born 9
Apr. 1825 in Erie Co. PA, died 27 Dec. 1896 IL. In early
life he assisted his parents on the farm. He went to Kane
Co. IL in 1837, by land, with wagon and teams, in company
with a cousin, William Wilson or John
C Smith, to Blackberry Township. In 1845 he
returned to Erie Pa, married Sarah Cochran
and returned to Kane Co. the same year. He added to his
original purchase of 100 acres until in 1885 he owned 300
acres. It was a stock and grain farm, with a dairy. In he
1886 took a trip west with his son Fink.
The original home of Thomas McNair built
in 1839 is still occupied Children of Thomas
MCNAIR and Sarah COCHRAN:

1) Frank C MCNAIR
born 23 Jun. 1850 IL, died 5 Nov. 1891 in David
City Butler Co. NE He married Margaret
_?_. By 1888 he owned a stock and grain
farm in Butler Co. Neb. Children of Frank
C MCNAIR and Margaret: Margaret
MCNAIR.

2) Frederic Gates MCNAIR
born 15 Nov. 1858, died 9 Sep. 1904 IL. He
married Carrie Esther GRAMLEY
born in Bellefont PA. Frederic
ran his fathers farm and continued there
after his parents died. Children of Frederic
MCNAIR and Carrie GRAMLEY:
Helen Gates MCNAIR

3) Fink S MCNAIR
born 27 Apr. 1863, died 11 Dec. 1902 IL. He
married Nina GOODWIN 2 Mar 1891
in Jacksonville IL. He owned 160 acres in Rooks
Co. Kansas that he purchased about 1886 when he
and his father were on a trip to the west.
Children of Fink S MCNAIR and Nina
GOODWIN: Sarah Margaret MCNAIR.

6) William MCNAIR born
7 Nov. 1818 in Venango, Erie Co. PA, died 22 Aug. 1876 IL.
He married Eunice MOSS/MORSE born in NY.
William was a sailor before going to
Kane Co about 1843/44 where he was a farmer. He
volunteered for the 8th Illinois Cavalry Company I, in
the Civil War, at the age of 44. The champion boxer of
the regiment, he taught boxing to the soldiers when
"all was quiet on the Potomac." Children of William
MCNAIR and Eunice MOSS\ MORSE:

2) William Henry MCNAIR was
born in 1849 in Blackberry Kane Co. IL. At age of
16 yrs. he was a volunteer in the Civil War,
Company I, 132rd Illinois Volunteer Infantry, and
later in Company F, 147th Illinois Volunteer
Infantry. He died 6 Jun. 1925 in Elburn and is
buried in Blackberry Cemetery Elburn, Kane Co. IL.

7) David MCNAIR born
14 Jul. 1819 in Venango, Erie Co. PA, died in California
before 1887. He married Margaret WARD in
1847 in Kane Co. IL. David was on the
Kane Co. tax rolls in 1848. He went to California for the
gold rush in 1850. His family is listed on the 1850
Census in Kane Co. with the family of William
and Sally Rogers, David's
sister. Later he lived in Trinity Center California
working in the mining industry We dont know if his
family ever joined him in California. On the 1860 Census
Kane Co. IL, daughter Fayette, 12 years,
is listed with Mrs. Nancy Dewey, a
cousin. Fayette stayed in Kane Co.
married and died there. Children of David MCNAIR
and Margaret WARD:

1) Fayette MCNAIR
born 8 Sep. 1848, died 30 Oct. 1935 in IL. She
married Seth E HALL 3 Aug. 1876,
born 31 Mar 1844 in Smyrna NY. Her father had
gone to California in 1849 for the Gold Rush. In
1860, at 12 years old she lived with her cousin Nancy
Miller Dewey. Fayette
and Seth Hall lived in Cherry
Valley, Illinois. Children of Fayette
MCNAIR and Seth E HALL: Flora B
HALL, Guy HALL, John HALL, Seth HALL, Frank HALL,
Fred HALL.

2) Nancy MCNAIR
was born in 1850 IL.

3) Eleanor MCNAIR born
in Jun 1851, married Amos NORTON.

8) Hannah MCNAIR born
24 Feb. 1821 in Venango, Erie Co. PA. She married George
P MILLER about 1838 in Erie Co. PA. George
born 13 Sept. 1813 in NY, died 18 May 1892. IL. They are
buried in Kaneville Cemetery Kane Co. IL. George
and Hannah went to Kane Co. IL from Erie
Co. PA before 1847. They had a farm in Kaneville famous
for its fruit Children of Hannah MCNAIR
and George P MILLER:

2) Mary MILLER
born 2 Jul. 1840 in PA, died 2 Apr. 1871 IL. She
married Porter S. BOWDISH 5 Mar
1865, born 10 June 1830 N.Y. He served in the 8th
Illinois Cavalry Company I in the Civil War and
was a farmer.

3) Ella MILLER born
2 Aug. 1846, died 14 Jul. 1847 in Kane Co. IL.

4) Dr. Alvin Platt MILLER
a physician and surgeon in Elgin, IL

5) George MILLER
died before 1922

9) Samuel MCNAIR Dr.
born 8 Feb. 1823 in Venango, Erie Co. PA, died 30 Jun.
1898 Kalamazoo Kalamazoo Co. MI. He married Anne
OSBURN 24 Nov. 1856 in Kane Co. IL. Anne
born 15 Dec. 1831 in Ripley Chautauqua Co. NY, died 11
Jan 1909 in Kane Co. IL. They are buried in Blackberry
Cemetery Elburn Kane Co. IL. She was the daughter of Platt
S. and Mary Ann (Platt) Osborne
of Chautauqua Co. NY. Samuel was 21 in
1844 when he went, by sailing vessel on the Great Lakes
and by team from Chicago, to Kane county and the home of
his brother-in-law, Samuel Platt. What
he earned from breaking prairie and other labors, he
invested in government land in Kaneville township. In
1856, upon his marriage, he made the first home of his
own in Kaneville. He had begun to read medicine in 1850,
and in the following year, he attended lectures in Aurora.
He would do most reading evenings, writing an outline of
the same, and the next day commit it to memory as he
followed the plow or rested his team at the end of the
furrow. In 1852-53 he was a student in the Cincinnati
Medical Institute. In 1856 he entered Rush Medical
College receiving his medical degree in 1859. He was the
second MD in Blackberry. His office & residence was
over McNair & Lewis Drug Store. He was the coroner
for 2 years, on the school board 6 years. And helped
establish the mill in Elburn. Samuel ran
a mercantile business for 20 yrs. And owned 427 acres of
farmland and 14 town lots. Children of Samuel
MCNAIR Dr. and Anne OSBURN:

10) John Smith MCNAIR
born 20 Feb. 1826 in Venango, Erie Co. PA, died 12 Sep.
1890 in Corry Erie Co. PA. He is buried in Lowville
Cemetery Erie Co. PA. John married Jane
BENTON, daughter of Gilbert Benton
and Jemima Seavey, 30 Apr. 1856 in
Kaneville Kane Co. IL. Jane born in 1832
in Allegheny NY, died in 1902 in Chicago IL. She is
buried in Kaneville Cemetery, Kane Co. IL. John was
visiting in Kane Co. prior to his 1856 marriage to
Jane. He may have accompanied his cousin Thomas
Smith and some of Thomas
brothers there. Thomas married Janes
sister Eliza in 1857. John and
Jane returned to Erie Co. after their
marriage. When Johns mother died
in 1858, he took over the McNair homestead, remaining
there most of his life. Jane and John
must have divorced sometime in the early 1860's. Jane
married Hiram Doty Oct 30, 1866 in Kane
Co IL.. Children of John Smith MCNAIR and
Jane BENTON:

12) Harvey MCNAIR born
in 1829 in Venango, Erie Co. PA, died in 1893 in Batavia
Kane Co. IL. He married Permelia ACRES
21 Jul. 1852 in Batavia Kane Co. IL. Permelia
born in 1831 in NY, died in 1852 in Kane Co. IL. He then
married her sister Mary Ann ACRES 1 Mar
1856 in IL. Mary Ann born 24 Nov. 1834
in NY. Harvey went to Kane Co. in 1843.
He was in the mercantile business and a farmer. During
the Civil War he enlisted 12 Sept. 1861 in the 8th ILL
Cavalry. Children of Harvey MCNAIR and Permelia
ACRES: Mary Dollie MCNAIR died as an infant in
Kane Co. IL. Children of Harvey MCNAIR
and Mary Ann ACRES: Jed F MCNAIR born on
8 Dec. 1856, died 17 June 1928 IL. He married Mary
A Smith, born 1864, died 1928. They lived in
Batavia IL